American linguist, professor at Columbia University, author, and social commentator
John McWhorter is an influential American academic and one of the foremost public intellectuals on topics of language and race. He is an Associate Professor of Linguistics in the Department of Slavic Languages at Columbia University, where he also teaches American Studies and music history. His academic research specializes in creole languages and how they are formed. Beyond academia, McWhorter is a prolific author and commentator, known for his weekly opinion column in The New York Times and his Substack newsletter. He engages a broad audience on issues ranging from language evolution and Black English to critiques of modern antiracism, most notably in his bestselling book "Woke Racism."
Attended Montessori school in Philadelphia.